The hub
Pick the moving step you are on
Each guide is one phone call's worth of preparation. Filter by stage of the move or search by the question on your mind.
Master timeline
US moving checklist: utility timeline from T-30 to move day
A 30-day countdown for electricity, gas, water, internet and trash. What to call when, what to write down, and the deadlines that cost real money if you miss them.
Start service
How to start US electricity and gas service when you move
5 steps to get the lights on at a new US address: find the utility, open the account, pick a supplier in deregulated states, and avoid the first-bill traps.
For renters
Renter's guide to starting US utility service
What the lease covers, what is in your name, how to spot a landlord trying to keep service in theirs, and the security deposit you may be asked for as a new renter.
For homeowners
Homeowner's guide to starting electricity and gas service
Title transfer, closing day, the day the previous owner closes their account: how to time the call so you do not pay their last kWh and they do not pay your first.
Stop service
How to stop US utility service when you move out
Closing the account in your name takes one phone call and a final meter read. Here is who to call, what they will ask, and how to keep service from rolling over to the next tenant on your dime.
Deposit refund
How to get your US utility security deposit back
Most US utilities refund a deposit on the final bill, with PUC-set interest. How to claim it, how long the refund takes, and what to do if the check never shows up at your forwarding address.
Need the utility directly? Find yours in the utility directory by state or compare licensed suppliers.
Reading paths
Three ways through the hub
Pick the path that matches your situation today. Each one stitches a few guides into a 20-30 minute crash course.
"I just signed a new lease"
Start with the timeline, then the renter-specific gotchas, then how to actually open the account.
Start the path"I just bought a house"
Closing day is the hinge. Get the timeline right, time the call for the day of closing, and pick a supplier where you can.
- 1 Stop service when you move (9 min)
- 2 Homeowner playbook (10 min)
- 3 Pick a supplier (deregulated states)
"I am moving out"
Close the account so it does not roll onto the next tenant in your name, then chase the deposit.
Start the pathThe 30-day countdown
When to make every call
The full version lives in the stop-service guide. This is the headline.
Find the utility
Look up the delivery utility at the new address. Your zip code decides it, not your supplier choice. Use the state directory.
Open the new account
Call the new utility with the move-in date, your full name, contact details and Social Security Number. Ask whether a deposit is required.
Close the old account
Call the outgoing utility with the move-out date and a forwarding address. Three business days is the legal minimum, five is the comfortable window.
Read your meter
Snap a photo of the kWh and therm displays at both addresses on move day. It is your only proof if the final reading is disputed later.
Insider view
Four things most moving checklists skip
Each one is a real-money mistake we see month after month in reader emails.
"Vacancy billing" can roll the meter back to the landlord
When you close, every state has a default rule for who pays until the next tenant opens an account. In some states it is the landlord, in others the meter goes idle. Confirm in writing so you do not stay on the bill by accident.
In deregulated states, your fixed-rate plan can move with you
If your supplier serves the new address, your locked-in rate usually follows. If not, the move qualifies as a documented termination and the early-termination fee is waived. Ask before you cancel.
LIHEAP and state assistance follow the household, not the address
Federal heating assistance and most state discount programs attach to your household ID. Call within 30 days of the move so the benefit transfers cleanly to the new utility account.
Your security deposit is earning interest, sometimes
Most state utility commissions (PUC) set a minimum interest rate on a held deposit. The interest is paid back with the deposit on the final bill or after a 12-month good-payment record. Check the line item, it is small but it is yours.
Before you call
Quick answers
What movers ask us most often, in plain language.
Every regulated US utility wants at least 3 business days of notice, both to start service at the new address and to close the old account. We recommend 5 business days as the comfortable window, more if a manual final meter read is needed. Friday and holiday moves should be counted in business days, not calendar days. The stop-service guide has the full timeline from T-30 to move day.
Not always. Most utilities run a credit check, and if your score is high enough the deposit is waived. Renters and customers with no US credit history are the most likely to be asked for one, usually $100 to $300 on electricity and a similar range on gas. The deposit comes back, with state-PUC interest, after about 12 months of on-time payment or on the final bill when you move out. Details in the deposit refund guide.
In every US state, the delivery utility is the right first call. They own the wires and the meter. In 18 retail-choice states plus DC you may also have a separate supplier (REP in Texas, ESCO in New York, ARES in Illinois) on the supply side of the bill. Notify them too, ideally in writing, with the move-out date. In most cases your supplier can either follow you to the new address or release you from the contract without an early-termination fee.
It depends on the state, but the general US rule is that whoever last had the account in their name is responsible until the day the next person opens one. If you move in on the 15th but only call the utility on the 20th, the previous tenant is on the hook for those 5 days, or the meter rolls onto the landlord under a state vacancy rule. Either way, open your account on or before the move-in date so the math is clean.
Only in deregulated states, and only if the supplier is licensed at the new address. Texas REPs, NY ESCOs and Illinois ARES are all state-licensed, so a move out of state ends the contract. A move within the state often transfers, sometimes with a new welcome packet. If the supplier cannot serve the new address, the move is a documented termination and any early-termination fee is waived under most state PUC rules.
CallMePower is a free, independent comparison service. We never charge consumers and we do not tilt our guides to favor a single supplier. Every figure in the hub is sourced from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the state PUC, or the utility's own published tariff.
Keep going
Once the move is sorted, these sections take over.